The Hive Recap: Parts Developed In an Unusual Manner

“Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”
– Alice, in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland

Olivier’s tail isn’t real, is it?
No, it’s a prosthetic (but people have been born with actual tails – see the links in the Wet Lab & Library if you don’t believe us). Actor David Richmond-Peck not only had to wear a monstrous mechanical necklace that housed all the gears and wires that animated the tail, but he literally could not sit down for several hours while he was wearing the mighty memorable appendage. David had to stand or lie on his stomach, but he was a great sport about it. Wherever he went on set, he always had the biggest tail in the room.

Olivier’s ‘enhancement.’

OK, but what about the freeze branding at Club Neolution?
Yes, that is a real practice. Be it tattoos, piercings or stretched lobes, humans have been modifying their bodies for thousands of years in ancient traditions and rituals. Proponents of the practice believe that it strengthens the connections between mind, body and spirit. Contemporary body modification is being taken a step further by merging the body with technology — cameras in eyes, magnets in fingers, sensors under skin. Who knows, maybe there’s a real-life Olivier out there with an actual fake tail sewn onto his behind.

The Director, Brett Sullivan, is also the editor for episodes 1, 2, 8 and 10.
Brett also worked with Tatiana some 10 years ago on the set of Ginger Snaps: Unleashed, which is the sequel to the horror film Ginger Snaps, directed by series co-creator and director John Fawcett, and written by Karen Walton (writer of episodes 4 and 8).

Sarah and Helena’s diner scene
The music for this scene was added last, but once we found the music we knew the scene was perfect. Just before shooting, John suggested to Brett to let Tatiana ‘play’ and not to give her too much direction while playing Helena, because it’s always best to see what ‘the monster’ brings to the table — and the monster certainly brought it.

I got you, babe.

Things we’ve seen Helena eat so far:
Half of a bran muffin, Jell-o with sugar, toast, cold chicken. And something in a bowl.

In the Belly of the Boat
Sometimes a boat is just a boat. But not in this case. The ship we see Helena in symbolizes a few things, the most obvious being water. What’s in water? Fish. And the only fish we see are on Helena’s blade and Tomas’s ring. The fish cult. The boat is also a subtle clue that Helena and Tomas came to North America by crossing the ocean. And while this may be a bit oblique, to the Hive writers we always thought that tons of cold, hard steel felt like a prison for Helena.

Although a real boat was used for exteriors, the interior was shot entirely on set. Our killer effects company made the ship’s interior look massive. And our master Director of Photography, Aaron Morton, made it look stunning. The fluorescent practical lights shape and reinforce the series’ visual motifs and themes.

Felix’s dance inspiration at Club Neolution?
Series co-creator and showrunner Graeme Manson suggested to Jordan Gavaris (Felix) that he watch Sting in “Quadrophenia” as inspiration. Sting’s character isn’t dancing with anyone — he’s dancing to be seen.